FAQs
Are you open?
YES!
Due to changes impending in the St Joseph child care community, we want to disclose the following:
Our licensed capacity is 86 students;
Our licensed capacity allows for ages 2 to 12 years old;
Our school-age summer program is effectively full;
We have openings for students 2-4 years old at this time;
We are a licensed child care facility by DHSS and can accept State Pay through DSS;
We officially received our license January 10th, 2020;
We were cleared to accept State Pay February 11th, 2020;
We have experience in child care as well as developmentally appropriate learning and preparation for school;
Our objective is a safe, fun, healthy learning environment for all students; reliable, quality, inclusive care for parents.
We seek partnerships with our families to ensure the best outcomes for all.
Infant Center, not open yet. Building closed 9/23/2021! Community Work Day 10/2-3/2021.
Do you accept subsidy?
Yes! We accept State Pay for ages 2 to 12. State Pay is accepted for all our programs including, after school program, summer program, half and full day preschool. We accept MO state pay and KS state pay.
State Pay acceptance in process for birth-2 years at infant facility.
Are you licensed?
Yes! We are licensed by the Office of Childhood, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
What does Preschool look like for 2 and 3 year olds?
Lots of things! All students grow in many areas all at once.
We have the stuff like potty training, table manners, eating with silverware, and washing hands that are daily skills we work to learn and do not really fit into a "cognitive domain" as they are called in the early childhood realm. These skills may not quite fit in the early learning goals or the domains but they are key to later learning. Eating with silverware and fine motor skills involved in those actions change how our students learn to write later. With our 2 and 3 year old students we work on developing the great foundations for future academic success.
Other than the academic there are many social parts to being in a classroom and learning to work with other students. Those verbal skills about my toys or our toys and sharing or " I want that" must be practiced, over and over again to ensure learning can happen. When students are focused on handling the big emotions that come from sharing and socializing they cannot devote the same amount of energy to learning their letters or how to count. Our work with our 2 and 3 year olds prepares them to handle the big emotions and transitions as well as learn.
Do you provide meals?
Yes, we do.
We offer breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack for our Early Preschool and Preschool students.
We offer afternoon snack for all students in our After School Program.
We offer afternoon snack and dinner for our students in 2nd Shift Classes.
Do you really do 2nd Shift Classes?
Yes, we do! We offer care for children age 2 to 12 years old anytime between 6:30 am and 9:00 pm, Monday through Friday! Until 11:30 pm coming soon!
What ages do you accept?
We offer care for children age 2 to 12 years old. After the student's 12th birthday we can no longer accept them for care.
We anticipate opening a facility for 6 weeks-2 year olds in the coming month.
If you are seeking care for children outside our age range, use the following DHSS search for licensed facilities: https://healthapps.dhss.mo.gov/childcaresearch/
https://www.mo.childcareaware.org/parents-families/
Soon to be Birth-2 years old too!
How many classes do you have?
Classrooms
Orange Room
Ages 2-4
Focus for Matriculation: Potty trained; Verbalization; Consistent Participation in Center Play; Consistent Participation in Circle Time; Proper use of Writing Materials; Knowledge of Colors, Shapes, Counting to 5
Purple Room
Ages 3-5
Focus for Matriculation: Potty trained; Verbalization; Consistent Participation in Center Play; Consistent Participation in Circle Time; Proper use of Classroom Materials (does not throw scissors, uses materials for activities); Practices Safe Classroom Behaviors (no running, no climbing furniture, 2 and 3 step directions); Knowledge of Colors, Shapes, Counting to 10, ABCs, One to One Correspondence to 10, adding within 10, understanding of letters used to form words, starts to identify letter sounds, starts to be able to write name with assistance, holds writing utensils with proper grip to write letters and numbers
PreK
Ages 4-5
Focus for Matriculation: Potty trained; Verbalization; Consistent Participation in Center Play; Consistent Participation in Circle Time; Proper use of Classroom Materials (does not throw scissors, uses materials for activities); Practices Safe Classroom Behaviors (no running, no climbing furniture, 2 and 3 step directions); Knowledge of Colors, Shapes, Counting to 20, preferably 100, Alphabet (identifies letter shapes, letter names, and letter sounds), One to One Correspondence to 20, adding and subtracting within 20, identifies sight words, knows to identify letter sounds, writes name without assistance, holds writing utensils with proper grip to write letters and numbers, beginning application of letter sounds to try to sound out words
School Age Room
Ages 5-12
To be in the School Age Room the student must be enrolled in school or be of the age to be enrolled in school. During Virtual School the students work one-on-one with Ms. Sierra to complete their school work in the schedule she has set up. Traditionally students complete their school work by lunch time. In the afternoons they watch a movie, do active gross motor play and crafts.
Coming Soon
Infant 1
(0-6 months)
Infant 2
(6-12 months)
Toddler 1
(12-16 months)
Toddler 2
(14-24 months)
What are your rates?
Service: Preschool Part-Time
Hours: 20 hours per week
Price: $75
Service: Preschool Full Time
Hours: 40 hours per week
Price: $150
Service: Preschool Pro-Rated Hourly between 20 and 40 hours
Hours: 20 to 40 hours/week
Price: $75+$3.75/hour
Service: School Age Program
Hours: 40/week
Price: $80
Service: Infant Full Time
Hours: 40/week
Price: $240
Service: Infant Pro-Rated
Hours: Hourly Rate
Price: $6/hour
COVID-19 Update
March 27th, 2020
Please note that if your student has a temperature higher than 99.4 Fahrenheit you will be asked to pick up your student as soon as possible. The Department of Health and Senior Services has updated their response and has asked that we send home any and all students with temperatures greater than 99.4.
March 20th, 2020
Following precautions and orders outlined by the city below, we are requesting all parents reach out to us to confirm whether your student will be present Monday so we can make the best planning and resource allocation to ensure the health and safety of all.
If you are a parent and your line of work is not outlined as an essential function, please keep your students home so we can maintain safe places and ensure social distancing.
Please text 505-800-2264 or email us at stjoebrightbeginnings@gmail.com so we can ensure fewer teachers are exposed if necessary and all students have care.
March 17th, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Out of an abundance of caution, Bright Beginnings is implementing an action plan to address evolving circumstances involving the spread of the novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19). We believe this action plan aligns with our commitment to ensure the health and safety of our staff, children and their families. Bright Beginnings administration will communicate any updates to this plan as well as concerns about the spread of the virus to staff and children on an ongoing basis.
Preventative Actions
Our team is actively cleaning and sanitizing high touch places such as doorknobs, tables, faucets, tablets, and children’s toys frequently throughout the day. We will keep our slides open for now and clean them daily. If there are increased incidents in our community, these spaces will be temporarily off-limits.
Handwashing instructions are posted in all bathrooms along with fun incentives to increase frequency of staff handwashing. Children will be encouraged to wash their hands upon arrival, before eating snacks, before leaving for the day and after sneezing or coughing in them. Children who have sensory challenges with handwashing will have modified handwashing routines which are individualized to them. If you have concerns about specific products used for handwashing, please reach out to Stephanie or Meredith.
Children’s learning areas will be supplied with hand sanitizer. In addition, their tables and learning materials will be wiped down before and after each day with antibacterial wipes. If your child has an allergy or sensitivity to antibacterial gel or cleaning products, please let the Meredith or Stephanie know. For our little learners who like to mouth items, bins will be placed around the center for any item that has come in contact with their mouth, to ensure that it is sanitized before another child is able to access it.
Community spaces such as kitchens, parent meeting rooms and break rooms will be cleaned and wiped down after each use. To ensure they are clean and disinfected, all kitchen and eating utensils will be washed in the hottest possible water, in either the dishwasher or by handwashing, whichever is first available.
As fundamental as this information is, it bears repeating that to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, staff and children should remember to:
Cover your cough or sneeze
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
See your doctor if you have a fever, cough, body aches and fatigue
Stay home and limit contact with others if you are sick
Notification of Travel
We are asking that families and team members notify our main office if you have plans to travel to overseas over spring break. In addition, children or staff who have family members who reside with them who have traveled to or had stopovers in countries that are considered Level 3 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or higher, should self-quarantine for 14 days.
Information for travelers can be found on the CDC website:
Closings
Bright Beginnings will remain vigilant in staying up to date with all local and national recommendations regarding business closures. Bright Beginnings intends to stay open, even if schools close, unless DHSS requires. In the event that a child or staff member contracts COVID-19, all parents and staff members will be contacted immediately, and the center will close for a minimum of 2 days to ensure that the space can be professionally cleaned and disinfected. Any child or staff member who reports a diagnosis of COVID-19 will be suspended for a minimum of 14 days or until notice that there is no risk of contracting the virus is provided by a medical official.
We understand this is a stressful time for our families and want to ensure you that your child’s health is our first priority. We will continue to keep you informed of any updates. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or additional concerns.
Sincerely,
Bright Beginnings